Scribd
Upload
75 views

Open Source

The document discusses open source software, proprietary software, open standards, and APIs. It defines open source software as software whose source code is freely available online in contrast to proprietary software, whose source code is closely guarded. Open source software like Linux can be used and modified by anyone, while proprietary software licenses restrict these abilities. Open standards and APIs also aim to allow for interoperability between different technologies and companies.

Uploaded by

llll
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
75 views

Open Source

The document discusses open source software, proprietary software, open standards, and APIs. It defines open source software as software whose source code is freely available online in contrast to proprietary software, whose source code is closely guarded. Open source software like Linux can be used and modified by anyone, while proprietary software licenses restrict these abilities. Open standards and APIs also aim to allow for interoperability between different technologies and companies.

Uploaded by

llll
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

The term open source refers to software whose source code — the medium in which programmers

create and modify software — is freely available on the Internet; by contrast, the source code for
proprietary commercial software is usually a closely guarded secret.

The most well-known example of open source software is the Linux operating system, but there are open
source software products available for every conceivable purpose.

Open source software is distributed under a variety of licensing terms, but almost all have two things in
common: the software can be used without paying a license fee, and anyone can modify the software to
add capabilities not envisaged by its originators.

A standard is a technology specification whose details are made widely available, allowing many
companies to create products that will work interchangeably and be compatible with each other. Any
modern technology product relies on thousands of standards in its design — even the gasoline you put
in your car is blended to meet several highly-detailed specifications that the car’s designers rely on.

For a standard to be considered an open standard, the specification and rights to implement it must be
freely available to anyone without signing non-disclosure agreements or paying royalties. The best
example of open standards at work is the Internet — virtually all of the technology specifications it
depends on are open, as is the process for defining new ones.

An Application Programming Interface (API) is a feature of a software application that allows other
software to inter-operate with it, automatically invoking its functionality and exchanging data with it. The
definition of an API is a form of technology standard. The term open API doesn’t yet have a universally
accepted definition, but it’s generally expected to be “open” in the same manner as an open standard.

The common theme of “openness” in the above definitions is the ability of diverse parties to create
technology that interoperates. When evaluating your organization’s current and anticipated software
needs, consider a solution’s capability to interoperate as an important criterion. To extend the value of
your technology investment, select a software solution that is based on open standards and APIs that
facilitate interoperability and has the capability for direct integration between various vendors’ products.

Difference between Open-Source and Proprietary Software


Control of Open-Source and Proprietary Software

The idea alone that developers and programmers are allowed to examine and modify the source code as
deemed necessary shouts aloud control. More control means more flexibility, which means non-
programmers can also benefit from the open collaboration. Proprietary software, on the contrary,
restricts control only to the owner of the software.

Security of Open-Source and Proprietary Software

Because anyone with the required knowledge can add or modify additional features to the program’s
source code to make it work better, it allows better sustainability of the software as indiscrepancies in
the software can be rectified and corrected repeatedly. As developers can work without any restrictions,
it allows them to rectify errors that might have missed by the original developers or publishers.

Driver Support of Open-Source and Proprietary Software

Open-source software packages often have missing drivers which is natural when you have an open
community of users with access to every single line of code. The software may include code modified by
one or more individuals, each subject to different terms and conditions. The lack of formal support or
sometimes use of generic drivers can put the project at risk. Proprietary software means closed group
support which means better performance.

Opacity of Open-Source and Proprietary Software

The viewing restrictions barred the end users from modifying the code let alone debugging it effectively
with no control over possible workarounds. The internal structure of proprietary software is strictly
closed-access meaning they lack transparency which makes it virtually impossible for users to even
suggest modifications or optimizations to the software. Open source, on the other hand, promotes open
collaboration which means lesser bugs and faster bug fixes with fewer complexities.

Open-Source vs. Proprietary Software: Comparison Chart

Summary of Open-Source Verses Proprietary Software


Open-source refers to the software whose source code is available for anybody to access and modify,
while proprietary software refers to the software which is solely owned by the individual or publisher
who developed it. Unlike open-source software, proprietary software is managed by the individual or the
organization that holds exclusively the intellectual property rights of the source code and nobody
outside the circle is allowed to view the code let alone inspect it. The main difference between the two is
that open source projects have the ability to evolve as they can be iterated upon by millions of
developers located across the globe.

You might also like